


Madison x Laurens Angst, but with a happy ending

by Hamiltalian



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, thomas is an ass
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-10-05 17:51:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17329661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hamiltalian/pseuds/Hamiltalian





	Madison x Laurens Angst, but with a happy ending

John took a deep breath as he rang his best friend’s doorbell, holding a wrapped present in one hand and a bouquet of colorful roses in his other hand. He fidgeted with his clothes and with the wrapping on the present and simply could not get himself to stand still. But, as nervous as he was, he was used to it. He was always nervous when he went over to see James. James had been John’s best friend for years and, over time… Well, John had developed feelings for him. It was awfully cliche, a crush on his best friend, but John thought it was kind of romantic. And he would act on his feelings, weren’t it not for one small problem…

“What are you doing here?” snarled a Mr Thomas Jefferson as he saw opened the door.

Unfortunately, James was dating that monster.

“I’m just here to see James, okay? That’s it,” John snapped back at him.

Jefferson tutted and rolled his eyes. “What are those stupid flowers for?”

“In case you forgot, it’s your boyfriend’s birthday and he happens to like roses.” John absolutely loathed him, rolling his eyes as he gave his irritated response.

“Oh, that,” Jefferson scoffed. He believed that John was making something out of nothing here, but he supposed he couldn’t just do nothing. After all, James could all of a sudden have the balls to think that he wanted to be with John. “Look, I have places to be. You’d better not be here when I get back or there’ll be hell for you to pay.” Thomas always made sure to keep James away from other people whenever he could. Especially John.

John glared and opened his mouth to respond, stopping himself when he heard a little cough from inside.

“Thomas? Who’s at the door?” James asked, his voice surprisingly strong for someone who stood at 5’4”. He may have been a bit shy around strangers, but showing that weakness around Thomas would’ve been a huge mistake.

“Just your little friend,” Thomas responded, grabbing his jacket. “Have him out by 3.”

“Sure..” James muttered as Thomas left. Apparently, Thomas didn’t care about spending time with his boyfriend on that same boyfriend’s own birthday.. James shook off the thought and smiled as John came into view. “Hey, John,” he greeted, glancing at the flowers in his hand, smile faltering. “Oh… You know I’m allergic..”

John grinned proudly. “Which is why I got rid of all of the pollen and the parts that make them. Completely pollen free so you can enjoy them,” he explained as he gave him the flowers.

“Oh, John..” James muttered. “You really shouldn’t have.. It must’ve taken you hours,” he continued, embarrassed.

John shook his head. “It was nothing..” he assured, though his hands were still covered in band-aids beneath his winter gloves.

“Well, it’s not nothing to me,” James stated with a smile. John always had been such a sweet friend to him. While this came at no surprise, it was nice to know that someone would use all of that time on him.

John returned the smile and offered him the present. “I also got you this.”

“John.. You really shouldn’t have. You’re just too much sometimes,” James laughed. He took the present and nodded towards the couch with a smile. “Come on, sit down with me,” he offered. James sat down and John sat about a foot or two away, knowing how James felt about personal space.

The shorter man peeled the tape off of the wrapping paper, careful not to tear it even a bit, and carefully unwrapped the paper, noting the sharp creases. “Wherever you got this done, they’re good.”

John nodded, but James underestimated him. It took a couple of hours, half a roll of wrapping paper, and at least a yard of ribbon, but John took his time to make the present look perfect. James always kept the paper and hated when it was too crumpled to fix.

James gasped as he finished unwrapping the gift. “The Harry Potter series signed by JK Rowling herself?! And they’re hardbacks?! John, this is the best gift ever!” he exclaimed before hugging John tightly.

John was definitely caught by surprise, but the last thing on his mind was the idea that he should question it. James always jumped when he was touched, so John avoided initiating any contact, but he was sure that it was okay now that James hugged him first. So, he wrapped his arms around his friend, smiling widely to himself. However, as he did, John glanced down and caught sight of what looked like a dark hand print on James’s back..

“James.. About Thomas..” he began softly.

So much for living a few moments in happiness. James didn’t want to think about how he got that bruise. “Please… Not now…” he begged quietly before pulling away from the hug and moving back to his place, a few feet from John. “Look.. I.. I know you don’t think he’s all that good for me, but he’s good to me.. He…” James paused for a second.

John frowned. Even James had a hard time thinking of any good Jefferson did. John wished he could see past Thomas’s blinding lies.

“He’s not bad..” James finally continued. “He just… Speaks his mind. And I don’t mind that he loses his temper sometimes. It happens to everyone, right?” He paused for a split second, frowning at his own justification before muttering, “It’s my fault that he blows up at me, anyways.. I don’t listen and I make a lot of mistakes. He’s my boyfriend. He loves me and just wants to help me be a better person so I can be happy. Why would he want to hurt me? It doesn’t make any sense.”

John shook his head. “James, it is never your fault when he hurts you,” he stated matter-of-factly. “It is not right. You should-”

“No, John,” James interrupted, with a sigh. He hated this conversation almost as much as he hated arguing with John. “I know what you’re going to say, but I won’t leave him. He.. He needs me.. I want to help him be better, too. He’s so close to becoming better, I just know it.” Who else would be able to help Thomas with his anger issues? James had dealt with it for years. He could handle it for a bit longer while Thomas worked at trying to get better. James was sure he was close to making good progress on it. He was sure of it.

John’s frown deepened and he glanced to the door as he heard the lock turning.

James checked the time. “Shoot, it’s already three.. I’m sorry, I should’ve kept track of time.” Thomas had been generous in giving him a whole twenty minutes to talk to John. He shouldn’t have gotten carried away with the time. If only he didn’t want to save the wrapping paper, he could hear Thomas explaining. It took up a lot of time. It was a waste of time.  

“It’s fine. I’m gone..” John jumped up and dashed out of the back door before Thomas could see him, glad that he decided against driving there that day.

Good thing, too. Thomas would’ve been angry if he’d seen John, James could feel it. He quickly grabbed one of the books and flipped a few pages in, pretending to read it. He only stopped a few seconds later as he began sneezing up a storm.

Thomas scoffed and shook his head. “Oh, don’t start that. Your little friend brought you flowers, too. Quit being so damn picky. Here.” He shoved the bouquet at him. James appreciated them when John brought them, why not when they came from Thomas? It was as if James was faking his allergies, the unappreciative brat.

“Thank you..” James muttered as he took the flowers. They made his nose itch and eyes water, but allergies were easier to deal with than Thomas’s anger.

Thomas shrugged. “Whatever. Come on, let’s go celebrate your birthday the right way,” he offered with a vicious grin. James had been more than willing on Thomas’s birthday after Thomas spent the few days before dropping hints, so James had no reason to not agree to it again.

James shook his head. “I’m not really in the mood..” he explained softly. “I’m in the middle of reading this book and-”

“That wasn’t a question,” Thomas snapped, annoyed. James had no reason to be so difficult. “Come on. With all that weight you’ve been gaining, you should be fucking grateful I want to touch you.” Of course, Thomas had to remind him of that. He didn’t want James thinking he was all that, that he could just refuse Thomas’s wants and that was that.

James bit the inside of his cheek. John said he was stress eating, but what could possibly be stressing him out? “Okay..” He was yanked to his feet and up the stairs.

The next morning, James woke up in an empty bed, to the sound of Thomas coming into the room.

Thomas opened the door and, for once, spoke without malice in his voice. “Hey, your friend is here again. I’m going to the store. Since you were so good for me last night, I’ll give you a whole hour with him, okay?” He gave James that sickly sweet smile before leaving, John coming up instead.

John gasped at the sight and scrambled to help his friend be more comfortable. He ran a warm bath and grabbed some warm clothes and a towel. Once everything was ready, he went over to James’s side. “Hey.. Come on, I ran a bath for you. It’ll help you feel better, okay?..” he offered gently.

Even James couldn’t lie to himself that time. He did hurt… He nodded and carefully sat up, wincing a bit. It took all of his strength just to stand, so he was grateful when John helped him to the bathroom. He let his friend lead him to the warm water and sat in it with a sigh, shutting his eyes and sinking so he was almost nose deep.

“I’ll leave you alone for a bit. Call me if you need me, okay?” John said softly, only leaving once James nodded.

John went to James’s room and packed up whatever he could find that belonged to his friend in whatever he could find, refusing to let him stay any longer. John quickly loaded up his car.

When John checked on James again, he had just finished getting dressed and looked over at John, confused by his urgent behavior.

“We’re leaving,” John explained. “I’m not letting you stay here with him.”

James frowned and looked down at his feet. Maybe John was right.. Maybe he was always right. “I didn’t think he’d hurt me like that… He said he loved me..” James whimpered out. If Thomas really loved him… If he ever loved him, he wouldn’t have forced James into anything, would he? And it wasn’t the first time, but on his own birthday… Thomas really was something of a monster.

“I’m so sorry..” John went over and took his hand. “I packed your stuff. I’m taking you somewhere safe. I’m not letting him hurt you anymore, okay?” It was phrased to leave no room for argument, but John didn’t want James to feel forced. If he were to argue, the worse John would do was work harder at convincing him.

But James was done. He was finished with being hurt and he was desperate to know what it would be like being safe again. Of course he agreed to go.

John took James and himself to his own apartment, leaving James’s phone back at his house so Thomas wouldn’t have a chance at finding them.

“Thank you..” James meekly offered.

“Of course. What kind of friend would I be if I left you with him?” John exclaimed, voice leveled. “Are you hungry?” he instead asked, changing the topic to something lighter.

James thought back on what Thomas said about him and shook his head.

John frowned a bit. “Are you sure?.. You haven’t eaten all day.”

“I really shouldn’t..”

That simple sentence was enough to clue John in to the truth. “It’s because of Thomas.. James, whatever he said, he isn’t right. There’s nothing wrong with eating and you’re perfectly healthy. It’s normal to be a little curvy.”

James still seemed a bit hesitant.

John sighed, worried about what this could do for James’s health. “Please?.. I don’t want you to let him affect you. It’s just you and me. I’m not going anywhere and I’m not going to just let you feed into his nonsense when he’s nowhere around.”

John was right.. Thomas was nowhere near them and he wouldn’t find them anytime soon. Maybe.. Maybe he should try to break free from his chains.. “Okay.”

Just that was enough to give John the room he needed to break any trace of Thomas away from James. John taught James what it was actually like to be taken care of and James liked it.

Every morning, John went running with James, because James wanted to for himself, not for anyone else. Afterwards, John would make them both a nice breakfast. Mainly waffles, James’s favorite, with bacon and eggs, John’s choice. John would spend the entire morning working on his art and would let James watch or let James do whatever else he pleased. James would only make lunch because it’d be done before John would notice and John would make dinner.

Of course, James loved his new life. He loved being with John and being pampered and feeling safe and wanted. There was just one thing still bothering him.

“I feel so bad just sitting around doing nothing.. I want to try getting back out into the real world,” James admitted a couple of weeks later at dinner. He looked so different in that short time that he spent with John. There was so much more color in his face and light in his eyes. Forget looking like a different person, James looked alive, more alive than John had seen in years. John loved it, loved seeing his friend getting better and knowing that he was a part of it. And he trusted James to make decisions on his own life.

“Only if you’re sure,” John responded. If James was ready to get back into the world, James was ready to get back into the world.

“I’m sure,” he stated without hesitation. “Besides. I don’t want to just mooch off of you.”

He shook his head. “You’re not just mooching off of me. I know you need time to heal.”

“And I’m healing. I’m ready for this.”

John nodded. “Okay.” The next day, John spent his morning art time helping James put together a resume, he’d worked in bookstores and small coffee shops, having multiple jobs before he met Thomas. Within the month, they found him a job as a librarian at the local elementary school library. It was pretty much perfect. Thomas would never find him there and it fit James perfectly. He loved all of the kids, despite the occasional troublemakers. He’d always wanted kids, but Thomas didn’t. But that didn’t matter now. Thomas was gone. James could do what he want.

Every day, James was still growing stronger and John somehow managed to fall more and more in love with him.

So, when James agreed to be his boyfriend, John made sure to treat him like the prince he deserved to be.


End file.
